Rewritten Past

Serena giggled and said, "We can have some to celebrate when the kids finish elementary school. That'd be nice, right?"

"Mmhm." Yue nodded, already making a mental note to do that. And to buy a few bottles to save for Alex and April's inevitable wedding.

Because as much as Alex was pretending to only like April as a sister and push her away, he couldn't hide how he instinctively clung to her and accommodated her like she would disappear if he looked away too long.

Serena gestured towards the nearby table and chairs before saying, "Want to sit and talk for a bit? The kids are asleep, so we can stay up for a while."

Yue sipped more of her wine and nodded. "Alright. I need to get things off my chest anyway."

The two young women settled into their spots by the table.

When they did, Serena spoke up first. "I'm guessing you were thinking about Alex?"

Yue blinked. "How did you know?"

Serena giggled. "When you're thinking about Alex, you shift towards him, you know?"

Yue blinked again and set down her glass. "I do?" She paused and looked at herself. Then she noticed that she had subconsciously moved her body so that Alex was in her field of view. "...I guess I do."

Serena smiled and said, "It's okay. I do that with April too."

Yue paused and noticed that Serena was also sitting in a way that April was barely in her peripheral vision. Realizing that, Yue let out a smile and said, "We're both suckers for our kids, huh?"

Serena sipped on her glass and said, "Well... April is my entire world. And Alex is yours, right?"

Yue paused and glanced at her reflection in the glass.

She hadn't considered it.

But...

'Huh.'

*Auntie Yue~ Come help me train!*

*I like meat, Auntie! Lots of it!*

*Your cooking's better! I like it more than Mommy's!*

*I love you, Auntie! Lots and lots!*

A soft warmth settled in Yue's chest as she reflected on the past couple of months with Alex before she nodded. "...I guess so." She picked up her glass of wine and took another sip. "Seems like Al took over my world before I realized it."

Yue would have never dreamed of it back in August. At that time, although she loved her cute and chunky nephew, she was also frustrated with him. Mostly because he kept crying for his Mommy and seemed like he hated spending time with her.

That, and there was the fact that her big sister was always pawning Alex off to her like Yue had nothing better to do in her life. That, despite the fact that Yue had said again and again she was trying to make her life work too and pursue a career to become a star. To be rich and never have to worry about working or swallowing her pride ever again.

And then September had come, her cute little nephew had changed, and in changing he had somehow become the sun that Yue's life revolved around.

Ridiculous.

...But Yue wouldn't have it any other way.

Serena smiled and said, "Funny how that happens, doesn't it?" She turned to look at April and then quietly said, "You know. I didn't want her at first."

Yue froze.

Serena looked up at Yue with a guilty smile. "...April. She... I didn't choose to have her. You know? And when she was born, it was April 1st." She let out a shaky laugh before whispering, "It felt like a joke. A terrible, terrible joke. I was just a kid back then, you know? I didn't know about anything at all. God, I just had my first period and then-" She cut herself off, trembling a bit.

Yue reached out and held her hand. "Rina. Hey. It's okay."

Serena let out a shaky breath. "Sorry." She closed her eyes, taking a few more breaths to steady herself. Then she let out a thin smile and said, "...Let's just say. It's nice. Knowing that an aunt can be like this. I wish mine had been that nice and listened when-" She cut herself off.

Yue patted Serena's hand and said, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Rina. It's fine."

"Sorry." Serena shook her head and sipped more of her wine. "Must be the wine. I thought I got over it... I mean, it's just my body. I've done worse to get milk for April, so-"

"No." Yue cut her off. "You don't get to talk about yourself like that. Okay?" She gently squeezed Serena's hand. "You said we're friends, right? So as your friend, let me tell you." She stared into Serena's teary blue eyes and said, "You're amazing. And strong. So, so strong. So no talking bad about yourself. What you did was necessary. And it doesn't make you any worse."

Serena let out a shaky smile. Then she sighed and rested her head against Yue's hand. "...No wonder Alex likes you. You're amazing too, Yue."

"I'm just doing the best I can, Rina."

Serena raised her head, her smile now steady. "Well, your best is plenty." She brushed her tears away and said, "Sorry to make this about me. You said you wanted to vent too, right?"

Yue shook her head. "No, we can talk about you if you want."

Serena smiled. "Thanks. But I'm fine, really." She sipped more of her wine and said, "What was on your mind, Yue?"

Yue hesitated. She felt like Serena really needed to talk too. Especially with that confession, and the fact that, in hindsight, April looked a bit TOO much like Serena.

The implications there were clear with the bit that Serena had confessed.

But since Serena was insisting, Yue drained her glass and poured some more wine into it. "Fine. It's just..." She shifted her gaze to Alex and said, "I'm a bit worried about him. You've realized too, right? Alex is different from a normal five year old boy."

Serena nodded. "I noticed. He acts like a kid around April, but there are moments... And there's his training too, of course." She paused. "I thought the training was because of you though?"

"It is, a little. I mean, I used to do a lot of training. And I do a little bit here and there now. But not as much as Alex does. And moreover... I never taught him any of what he knows."

Serena paused in the middle of taking another sip of wine. Then she tilted her head. "...Then who taught him?"

Yue stared at Alex and softly murmured, "...I think life did. You don't know much about gongfu or martial arts, but the way Alex trains isn't the way you would train for self-defense or competitions."

Alex probably didn't think anything of it. And since he was a kid, he probably thought it was normal. Or that he was hiding it well.

But Yue could tell.

The way he struck the wooden training dummy in the past. The ease he used the rapier. And earlier, the clean slices he performed on the steak.

It was violence.

Distilled violence, refined, and honed. Like a blade.

Yue had only seen it once before: in her big brother Tian after the incident where she and Mei were almost...

...Either way, it wasn't normal.